ALBANY, NY. - The New York Drug Enforcement Administration’s Albany District Office and the Schoharie Sheriff’s Office worked collaboratively to identify and arrest two individuals who were in the process of making methamphetamine as well as possessing the ingredients to make methamphetamine on July 7, 2011.

Working in an undercover capacity, the agents and officers set up surveillance in the Village of Schoharie after a lengthy investigation into methamphetamine trafficking in the Schoharie area. The Schoharie Sheriff’s Office contacted the DEA Capital Task Force after learning that methamphetamine abuse was on the rise in the area and identified two individuals who were alleged to be making methamphetamine. Those two individuals were identified as Todd Diamond and Loreen Diamond.

Throughout the investigation it was learned that the Diamonds were returning from Kentucky, presumably with ingredients to make methamphetamine. Upon locating the Diamonds at a residence in the Village of Schoharie, DEA agents and Task Force Officers along with the Schoharie Sheriff’s Office arrested Todd Diamond and Loreen Diamond and had the DEA’s Clandestine Lab Unit safely dismantle the methamphetamine lab.

This investigation yielded two arrests and a quantity of methamphetamine that is being evaluated, weighed and tested by the DEA’s Clandestine Lab Unit as well as the DEA’s North East Regional Laboratory.

“You would think that the defendants would have shown up at this apartment with the ingredients for a cake rather than ingredients for disaster,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge John P. Gilbride. “These two individuals were attempting to make methamphetamine and were arrested by federal state and local law enforcement officials. In this day and age there is no excuse for jeopardizing the health and safety of families and neighbors who live within a close distance of someone cooking methamphetamine in order to abuse the drug.”

“The Schoharie County Sheriff’s Office with the cooperation of the DEA successfully raided a working methamphetamine lab and arrested two individuals who were in the process of cooking meth,” said Sheriff Tony Desmond. “This was subsequent to a lengthy investigation which information was gleaned and we worked fastidiously to identify where this lab was to keep our county safe from the dangers of meth production and abuse.”

This case is being prosecuted by the United States Attorneys Office Northern District of New York and the Schoharie District Attorney’s Office. The Schoharie County Sheriff’s Office and the DEA would like to thank the Schoharie Fire Department and the Scho-Wright Ambulance Corps for their cooperation and assistance in this investigation.